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Beautiful, but...

Sail Date:
February 2014

Destination:
South America

Embarkation:
Santos (Sao Paulo)

Just returning from a 7-night cruise aboard the MSC Preziosa . Travelled with my husband , my parents , in-laws and 3 nephews . Among nine people , only the children were fully satisfied with the ship . This was my fourth cruise, the first by MSCs .

We chose Preziosa because it was the newest ship traveling along the Brazilian coast , and really , its decor is beautiful , extremely tasteful . There are many options of entertainment for children and adults . The team of Brazilian animation was pretty fun , but the qualities end there. The feeling is that there is a lot more people on board the vessel support . The public areas were always overcrowded . There was no place in the pools during the day, or in the lounges in the evening for a drink . But worst of all was definitely the buffet Maya & Inca . Disorganization is the word that best describes the place , with a terrible arrangement of food, spread over 100 meters restaurant. When you get a place to sit , the marathon More
begins to find food. When you return to the table , the food is already cold . The disembarkation by tender was so tumultuous and disorganized that we gave up going down on Ilha Grande - very frustrating . Another downside was the poor service . With few exceptions , grumpy and unwilling crew. Cleaning was also lacking , especially in the cabins and corridors . The carpet was always dirty and sometimes there was food dishes alongside some doors (which were also not collected within the rooms) .

Now the food ... Little variety in the buffet , and repetitive menu . At dinner restaurant, excellent service by the waiter Soni and his assistant Alexander. Tasty but unsophisticated food. Very different from the other ships that I traveled before . Finally , the price of food and drinks paid separately . Too expensive ! Draft beer Itaipava 400ml U.S. $ 4.80 , can beer $ 3.00 , longneck $ 3.60 to $ 3.80, soda can $ 2.60 , $ 3.00 bottled water , and most cocktails $ 8.00 . Everything plus another 15 % service charge . No wonder there was always huge queues to get water at the buffet ... When we got on the ship we were offered drinks package "all inclusive" . Is nothing more than a booklet with 14 sheets that gives the right to any soft drink and ice cream for U.S. $ 31.00 plus 15% or 18 sheets for liquor at most $ 8.00 for U.S. $ 61.00 plus 15% . That is $ 2.55 for sodas and juices and $ 3.90 for alcoholic beverages . And don't even think about eating outside the buffet , if you are not willing to pay for it . Only one restaurant serves breakfast and lunch a la carte included in the package . We felt exploited !

Normally I try to make positive reviews of hotels and places I know , but this time I felt compelled to share my negative experience . If I recommend a MSC cruise ? Definitely not ! Less